Exclaim Robotics Secures $4.95M to Develop Robots for AI Data Center Maintenance

Exclaim Robotics, a Swiss startup founded by Helen Oleynikova, an ex-Microsoft researcher and engineer, has secured $4.95 million in pre-seed funding to build robots for AI data center maintenance.

The company aims to offer a 'remote hands' automation platform that can perform rack-side tasks such as cleaning and replacing optics, reconnecting copper cabling, and re-seating drives precisely.

Exclaim's mobile autonomous robots will focus on 'dexterous manipulation problems rather than heavy lifting,' allowing them to navigate the data hall on their own, position themselves at a rack, and work the front face from the floor to the top rail without any changes to the building.

The robot Exclaim is building will reportedly have a pair of robotic arms on a vertical stand attached to a platform with wheels.

Oleynikova, who has also held roles at Google, Nvidia, and ETH Zürich, believes that robots are the answer to safety questions posed by increasing power densities in data centers.